NWR Timeline (SFS version)
NOTE: This is my North Western Railway timeline, inspired by wars of England, the timeline of Sodor and its deeper history up to 1801. Do not edit* N'WR Timeline '''is chronicling major events of Tales of the LNWR continuity. 19th Century 1800s * 1801: The Sudrian Revolution (1797-1801) ends. Sudric Island becomes Sodor of Independence. * 1803: Gold is discovered by Sir Thompson Jerris (1765-1841) at Ward Fell. * 1806: Plateway from Ward Fell to Balladwail is built by Zach Light (1781-1867). * 1809: First horse service from Knapford Town to Tidmouth Town. 1810s * 1810: Plateway from Ward Fell to Balladwail is shut down. * 1818: Italians try to invade Sodor to get industrial supplies, known as The Supply Revolution (1818-1822) 1820s * 1822: ** The Supply Revolution ends, and Italians don't get what they want. ** John Arnold Norramby is born. * 1828: Barry Halldones (1828-1913) is born. * 1829: ** Stephenson's Rocket is built. ** Zach Lymans (1829-1917) is born. 1830s * 1837: William Mack (1837-1897) is born. * 1839: John Alders (1839-1915) is born. 1840s * 1841: Sir Thompson Jerris dies. * 1843: Harry Qeens (1843-1910) is born. 1850s * 1851: Sudrian Railway Works is built, due to rumours going around that a railway is going to be built. * 1853: ** Sodor & Mainland Railway is built by Barry Halldones. ** Clive, Neil, Matthew, Andrew, Kevin and Samantha arrive on Sodor to help out. * 1854: ** Henry John Norramby is born. ** Vere Awdry (Reverend W. Awdry's father) is born. * 1856: Zach Lymans takes over the former Sodor Governor on 1st January. * 1857: Wilson and Jerome are built at Sudrian Railway Works and sent to work. 1860s * 1863: Construction on the Skarloey Railway begins. * 1864: Skarloey and Talyllyn are built in England. * 1865: Rheneas is built, and Skarloey is sent to Sodor. * 1866: ** Skarloey Railway is completed, and Mr. Mack is announced as controller. ** Rheneas arrives on Sodor. ** Skarloey has trailing wheels added to improve stability and has a cab installed. * 1867: Zach Light dies. * 1869: Plans about a second railway goes about. 1870s * 1870: ** Wellsworth & Suddery Railway is built by John Alders. ** Colin is built and sent to Sodor. * 1872: ** Albert is built. ** The Mid Sodor Railway Company is formed. * 1873: Sodor & Mainland Railway tries digging a tunnel through, but fails, and they never reach England. * 1875: ** Stepney is built. ** Sir Handel Brown I is born. * 1877: Captain Baxter is built. * 1879: Duke is built. 1880s * 1880: ** Sir Topham Hatt I (1880-1956) is born. ** Duke is shipped to Sodor. ** The Mid Sodor Railway is opened. ** Boxhill is built. ** Cromford is built. * 1881: Robert Sam, father of Mr. Peter Sam is born. * 1882: Victoria and Helena are built for the Furness Railway. * 1883: Charles Henry Norramby is born. * 1884: Henrietta is built. * 1885: ** Tidmouth, Knapford & Elsbridge Light Railway is built by Harry Qeens. ** Winston arrives to help, and Lily and Adam are built and arrive on Sodor. * 1886: ** Cora is built for the Mid Sodor Railway. ** Frederick Regaby dies; Albert Regaby succeeds to his Barony. * 1887: Bertram is built and shipped to Sodor. * 1888: Luke Skweens (1888-1919) is born. * 1889: Henry Alexander Stewarts (1889-1934) is born. 1890s * 1891: Albert is rebuilt. * 1892: ** Sudrian Railway Works goes bankrupt due to trying to make negotiations with British Railway Works. ** A.W.Dry&Co is formed in its place. * 1894: ** John Arnold Norramby dies. ** Bert is built. ** Topham Hatt is apprenticed at Swindon Works. * 1896: Edward and Annie and Clarabel are built. * 1897: ** Culdee Fell Railway starts construction. ** Mr Mack dies. * 1899: ** Sodor & Mainland Railway try to make negotiations with England. They are on the verge of bankruptcy. ** Davinds is built and arrives on Sodor. ** Emily is built. 20th Century 1900s * 1900: ** Godred, Ernest, Wilfred, Culdee and Shane Dooiney are built and arrive on Sodor. ** Culdee Fell Railway opens, and Godred is scrapped after a fall. * 1901: ** The Culdee Fell Railway is re-opened after receiving further maintenance following the events of Godred's accident. ** Mr Bertram Topham Hatt comes to Sodor. ** The Sodor & Mainland Railway goes bankrupt, and 2/8 of the engines are scrapped, Wilson and Jerome are left in the scrapyard, while Neil, Matthew and Clive are purchased by Tidmouth, Knapford & Elsbridge Light Railway. * 1902: Wallace is built at the GWR. * 1903: ** City of Turo is built. ** Kevin Volley is born. * 1904: ** City of Truro becomes one of the first engines to reach 100mph. ** Falcon is built, arrives on Sodor to join the MSR. * 1905: Topham Hatt's coffee pots workprints come into action, starting with Glynn. * 1906: ** The Refreshment Lady, Sally Mighor, is born. ** Tidmouth becomes the first town in Sodor to be lit by electricity. ** Jerry is built. * 1907: ** Sally is built. ** Henry Stewarts comes to Sodor to become Zach Lyman's second-in-hand governor. * 1908: ** The line from Knapford to Tidmouth along the coast is destroyed by a strong autumn gale. ** Using a treasury loan, A.W.Dry & Co put unemployed miners to work cutting a tunnel through a ridge to Tidmouth. ** The last coffee pot engine, Zeyryn, is built. * 1909: ** Donald and Douglas are built. ** Zach Lymans retires at the age 79 on 6th July 1909, Stewarts is voted as the Sodor Governor. He gladly takes the role. 1910s * 1910: ** Wallace arrives on Sodor to work for the T,K&ELRailway. ** Bluebell and Primrose are built. ** Sir Topham Hatt marries Jane Brown. ** Harry Queens dies. * 1911: ** Reverend Wilbert Awdry is born on 15th June. ** Barbara Jane, daughter of Sir Topham Hatt, is born. * 1912: ** James is built. ** Stepney is rebuilt. ** The Tidmouth, Wellsworth and Suddery Railway is formed from the Tidmouth, Knapford and Elsbridge Railway and the Wellsworth and Suddery Railway. ** Margaret Emily Wale Awdry is born. ** Crovan/87546 is built. * 1913: ** Timothy/100 is built in June and arrvives on Sodor afterwards, George/101 is built in August,Thomas/102 is built in October and Johnnycan/103 is built in December. ** Boxhill is restored. * 1914: ** Elvis/104 is built in January. ** The North Western Railway is formed from the Sodor and Mainland Railway and the Tidmouth, Wellsworth and Suddery Railway after the Sodor Government Forming Meeting of 1914. ** Sir Charles Topham Hatt is born. ** Toby is built. World War I begins on 28th July. ** Timothy kills himself taking a passenger train. * 1915: ** John Alders dies. ** Liz/105 is built in June, Rhys/106 is built in September. ** The North Western Railway is built. ** Albert Regaby becomes chairman of the North Western Railway. ** George/101 and Edward arrive on Sodor. ** The Ballahoo tunnel is built. ** The workshops at Crovan's Gate are established. ** The North Western Railways' Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters at Vicarstown are built. ** The bridge over the Walney Channel is built. ** Mr. Peter Sam is born. ** Henry John Norramby dies. ** Kevin Volley joins the North Western Railway as a lad/porter at Knapford. * 1916: ** Wilfred/107 is built in March, Keith/108 is built in July and Quith/109 is built in October. ** The Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch is built. ** George Edward Vere Awdry is born on 10th August. ** An explosion on 1st September with 102 bombing his controller's house by accident. Alfred/98462 is built. * 1917: ** Stanley (MSR) is built. ** Zach Lymans dies. * 1918: ** Robert Charles is born. ** World War I ends on Veteran's Day. ** NWR is on the verge of financial troubles due to wars. * 1919: ** Henry is built. ** The British Government helps Sodor out by giving them enough money to keep the railway running like clockwork. ** In November, a Sudrian, Luke Skweens, is accused of comitting war crimes during WWI. One innocent German witness said: *** "He came to Berlin, and bombed all our houses! He killed a lot of innocent Germans!" He was proven guilty and executed. 1920s *1920: **Sir Topham Hatt I is forced to sell two of his locomotives--Adam and Lily--leading to industrial troubles. **Stuart is built, for work on the Mid Sodor Railway. **Building begins on Gordon at Doncaster. **The Vicar of Wellsworth, Charles Laxey is born. **Sir Handel Brown marries Dorothy Lloyd. **Timdouth Sheds is built. **Alan Pegler is born on 16th April. *1921: **The Railway Act of 1921 is passed: the beginning of the Big Four. **Edward is sold to the NWR. **Kevin Volley is promoted to porter. *1922: **The Fat Controller, desperate for an engine, brings three engines on trial. These engines are Henry, Alfred, and Crovan. In the end, the Fat Controller makes Henry the number 3 after stopping a passenger runaway, though also extends the other two engines' trials. Alfred, who is extremley arrogant and rude, has an accident with a goods train. As punishment, his name is withdrawn. He is now known only by his number 98462. **Edward starts to be used less and less because of the new engines. He had to stay in Vicarstown Sheds until he was needed. This would not change until May 1924. **Later, Henry refuses to come out of the tunnel because he claimes "the rain would spoil his lovely green pain with red stripes". The Fat Controller bricks Henry's tunnel. *1923: **Flying Scotsman is built. **The Peel Godred Power Company and the North Western Railway plans to build a new branch line. **Gordon arrives on Sodor. # **Finally, after Gordon's saftey valve burst, Henry is let out of the tunnel. **Sir Topham Hatt becomes General Manager of the North Western Railway. **Rex is built. **NWR is under threat of closure. **James soon arrives. *1924: **Edward is allowed to come out again. **Edward and George move to Tidmouth Sheds. **Thomas/102 arrives on Sodor despite not meant to be there. Sir Topham Hatt soon decides to purchase Thomas after hearing the original ordered engine's laziness. Thomas is soon given his own branchline after rescuing James. **The Reverend Teddy Boston is born on 20th August. **Sir Handel Lloyd Brown II is born. *1925: **The NWR/LMS agreement. **The North Western Railway starts running to Barrow-in-Furness. **The Motive Power Depot and Administrative Headquarters are moved to Tidmouth following a failed death carried out by 98462, who blows himself up. **Crovan is sent to the Barrow Scrapyards. **The Crovan's Gate Works are expanded. **The Toryreck mines begin to decline. **Thomas' Branch Line is extended to Ffarquhar. **James works on Thomas' Branch Line for a few days, then pulls goods trains on the Main Line. *1926: **The Sodor Aluminium Company is formed. **21st April: Queen Elizabeth II is born. **Caroline is built. *1927: **Vicarstown Sheds is closed. **Kevin Volley becomes booking clerk of Elsbridge. **The road bridge crossing River Els at Elsbridge is widened to accommodate more traffic. **Trevor is built. *1928: **Stanley is turned into a pumping engine, and Smudger comes in his place. **Duncan is built. **Vere Awdry dies. *1929: **Duck is built. **The Spiteful Brake Van is built. **The Great Depression begins. 1930s * 1930: Wilbert Kebbirt holds a rebellion against Sir Topham Hatt I. He fails and dies. * 1932: Blister I and Blister II are built. * 1934: ** Henry Stuarts is assasinated on 4th March. ** Oliver is built. ** Terence is built. ** Albert Regaby steps down from his position as NWR chairman. * 1935: The Isle of Man steamers stop arriving at Arlesburgh, so the traffic to Peel Godred stops too. * 1936: ** Green Arrow is built. ** Mr. Fergus Duncan is born. ** Sir Topham Hatt is promoted from General Manager to Managing Director. ** The mountain section of the Mid Sodor Railway is closed. ** The Mid Sodor bogie saloon stock along with 3 of 6 engines are sold. ** Kevin Volley becomes stationmaster at Ffarquhar. * 1937: ** Rheneas is overhauled. ** Sir Charles Topham Hatt goes for railway service overseas. * 1938: ** Barbara Jane marries Henry Regaby, Viscount Harwick. ** Mallard is built and sets the world speed record for a steam engine of 126mph. ** Duchess of Hamilton is built. ** Smudger is turned into a Generator, which is next to Stanley. * 1939: ** After an accident with the express, Gordon is sent to Crewe to be rebuilt. ** Duchess of Hamilton tours the United States. ** World War II begins on 1st September in the world, and starts in the UK on 3rd September. ** Sir Charles Topham Hatt returns from railway service overseas to enlist with the Royal Engineers. 1940s * 1940: ** 2nd July: Christopher Awdry is born. ** Sir Charles Topham Hatt marries Amanda, daughter of Mr. Jabez Croarie of Ffarquhar. ** Sir Richard Robert Norramby is born. ** Toad is built. ** The Blitz comes to Sodor. * 1941: ** Sir Stephen Topham Hatt is born. ** Charles Henry dies. ** Veronica Chambers is born. ** Colin saves Knapford Station, but gets blown up by the Nazis. * 1942: Duchess of Hamilton shipped back from the United States. * 1943: ** Bridget Amanda Hatt is born. ** Rheneas takes over the majority of the workload on the Skarloey Railway. ** Robert Charles is killed in action while in North Africa. ** Christopher Awdry comes up with measles, and Awdry makes up stories inspired by the adventures of Sodor. * 1944: Winston gets gunpowder wagons from Wellsworth, but kills himself. * 1945: ** World War II ends in Europe on 8th May. ** The first book of The Railway Series is published. ** Sir Charles Topham Hatt is demobilised from the Royal Engineers and spends a further period overseas. ** The Mid Sodor Railway mines are closed one by one. ** World War II officially ends on 2nd September. * 1946: ** The Cas-ny-Hawin mine is flooded. ** Stanley is finally broken down and scrapped. ** Hilary Fortnam is born. * 1947: ** The Mid Sodor Railway and the Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch are closed. ** Duke is sheeted and abandoned in a shed. ** Falcon and Stuart are purchased by the aluminium works at Peel Godred for an expansion project. ** Albert Regaby dies; Henry Regaby succeeds to his Viscountcy. * 1948: ** The North Western Railway becomes officially known as the "North Western Region of British Railways". ** Mr. Roger Sam is born. ** Sir Topham Hatt is created a Baronet on his appointment as Chairman of the Regional Executive, after Nationalisation. ** Henry's hybrid shape begins to affect him badly and he is very unwell. He often can't pull trains, so the Fat Controller experiments with Welsh Coal, which works brilliantly. ** James's first experience with passenger trains on the main line does not go well. He takes his anger out on the coaches and damages a brake pipe and had to be fixed by a passenger's bootlace. He became a sadder and wiser James, and started to take care never to bump coaches again. He is put in the shed as a punishment. ** However, the Fat Controller gives him a second chance and James does very well with the troublesome trucks, despite them snapping the coupling on Gordon's Hill. Thus, James gets to keep his red coat of paint. A little while later, he takes pulls the express on one occasion after Gordon has a humiliating experience by going down the wrong line. ** In the spring, Henry, Gordon, and James are not happy to be fetching their own coaches after Thomas had left. They went on strike after several humiliating incidents including turntables and an elephant. During the strike, the Fat Controller buys the first engine brings a tank engine called Percy to run the branch line while Thomas and Edward run the main line. Percy is the first engine that was bought from Crovan's Gate Works to be used on Sodor. Henry, Gordon, and James are shut up in the sheds for several days as punishment. ** The claybeds near Brendam are discovered. ** Bill and Ben are built and arrive on Sodor. * 1949: ** Henry is sent to be rebuilt at Crewe into an LMS Stanier Class 5 following his crash with the Flying Kipper. ** Harold is built. ** The Slate Quarry begins to decline. 1950s * 1950: ** Sir Handel Brown dies; Handel Lloyd Brown succeeds to his Baronetcy. ** David Hugh II is born. ** Rosie is built. * 1951: ** The NWR celebrate the disabled Sudrian Railway Works' 100th Anniversary. ** Falcon and Stuart are sheeted. ** Toby's tramway closes down. ** Toby and Henrietta arrive on Sodor. ** The Coffee Pots engines are withdrawn from service. ** Sir Handel Lloyd Brown marries Rachael Qualtrough. ** David Hugh I retires. * 1952: ** George is sent to Crewe to have an overhaul. ** Rheneas is overhauled for a second time. ** Stuart and Falcon are purchased by the Skarloey Railway and renamed "Peter Sam" and "Sir Handel" respectively. ** Skarloey is overhauled. ** Cora is purchased for the Skarloey Railway. ** Sir Charles Topham Hatt returns to Sodor, to become Chief Mechanical Engineer at Crovan's Gate and general assistant to his father. ** Diesel is built. * 1953: ** Queen Elizabeth II visits Sodor. ** Nancy is born. ** Wilbert is built. ** The Ministry of Defence approached Sir Handel II to buy the nearly worked out slate quarry. ** Trevor is sent to be scrapped. ** Trevor is purchased by the Vicar. Edward is overhauled. ** BBC try to adapt "The Sad Story of Henry", but the HO model of Henry derails during filming, and the series is cancelled. * 1954: ** Sir Topham Hatt II becomes the Fat Controller. ** Rebecca Dorothy Brown is born. ** Ballast from the North Western Railway begins to be obtained for the Skarloey Railway. ** Alice, Mirabel, Isabel and Dulcie are built. *1955: ** Duck arrives on Sodor. ** Percy is sent to Thomas' Branch Line. ** Mark V is built. ** Diesel arrives on trial, but is sent away after framing Duck, Henry and almost tHOMAS. ** Gertrude and Millicent are bought by the Skarloey Railway. ** Ada is built for the Skarloey Railway. ** The Railway Series celebrates its 10th anniversary. * 1956: ** Sir Topham Hatt I dies; Charles Topham Hatt inherits his father's baronetcy. ** Jane is built for the Skarloey Railway. ** Knapford Junction is moved from south to north of the River Els. ** Kevin Volley becomes stationmaster at Knapford. * 1957: ** City of Truro visits Sodor. ** Mabel is built for the Skarloey Railway. ** Ada, Jane and Mabel arrive on Sodor. ** Frieda is built. ** Rusty is built and arrives on Sodor. Mr. Ivo Hugh becomes his driver. * 1958: ** Peter Sam has an accident with some slate trucks at the quarry. ** Duncan arrives on Sodor. ** Skarloey returns from being mended. ** BBC producers make a documentary about the Skarloey Railway. ** BoCo is built. * 1959: ** Donald and Douglas arrive on Sodor. ** The Spiteful Brake Van is crushed by Douglas and scrapped. ** The Thin Controller finds a Mid Sodor Railway bogie coach at Harwick and 8 coaches are rescued. ** Oliver is rebuilt. 1960s * 1960: ** Daisy is built and arrives on Sodor. ** Thomas goes under a huge overhaul. ** Mavis is built and arrives on Sodor. ** Kevin Volley becomes stationmaster at Cronk. ** The Ministry of Defence buys the empty slate quarry and the money is used for the construction of the Lakeside loop line. ** Old Stuck-Up and The Diesel are built. * 1961: ** The Peel Godred EMUs arrive on Sodor. ** Peter Sam is given a new Giesl Ejector. ** Sir Handel is given a pair of special wheels with broad tyres. ** Rheneas returns to the Skarloey Railway. * 1962: ** Lord Harry, Alaric and Eric arrive on Sodor. ** Stepney visits Sodor. ** The Diesel visits Sodor. ** Salty is built. * 1963: ** Culdee returns to the Culdee Fell Railway. ** Lord Harry is renamed "Patrick". ** Flying Scotsman is saved by Alan Pegler. ** The loop line extension around the lake began to be built. ** D199 is built. ** The last E2 on England is scrapped. Thomas and George are the only ones. * 1964: ** The Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch is rebuilt. ** Skarloey's 100th birthday. ** Bear is built. * 1965: ** Rheneas' 100th birthday. ** Shane Dooiney returns to the Culdee Fell Railway. ** The one-hundredth anniversary of the Skarloey Railway is celebrated. ** The loop line extension at Lakeside is opened. ** BoCo arrives on Sodor. ** The Railway Series celebrates its 20th anniversary. * 1966: ** Mike is built. ** The Skarloey Railway becomes a Company instead of being in private ownership. * 1967: ** Blister I and Blister II arrive on Sodor for the construction of the Arlesdale Railway. ** Bert, Mike and Rex arrive on Sodor to service the Arlesdale Railway. ** Reverend W. Awdry and Reverend Teddy Boston visit Sodor. ** Flying Scotsman visits Sodor. ** D199 arrives on Sodor along with 7101 and is sent back after he fails on the level crossing. ** The Tidmouth-Arlesburgh branch is re-opened, to be serviced by Duck. ** Oliver, Isabel and Toad are rescued by Douglas and arrive on Sodor. ** 7101 is renamed "Bear" and renumbered D3. ** Dulcie, Alice and Mirabel are saved from scrap for service with Oliver and Duck. ** Frank arrives on Sodor. ** S. C. Ruffey is pulled apart by Oliver and scrapped. ** Bulgy arrives on Sodor. ** Bulgy is turned into a henhouse. ** The Guinea Special runs. ** Flying Scotsman tours the United States. * 1968: ** Kevin Volley retires and lives out his life at Ffarquhar. ** Steam traction officially ends on British Railways. * 1969: ** Sigrid of Arlesdale is built and arrives on Sodor. ** Duke is discovered by Mr. Fergus Duncan, the Reverend W. Awdry and the Reverend Teddy Boston. 1970s * 1970: ** Sir Stephen Topham Hatt marries Helen Margaret. ** The siding at Cros-ny-Cuirn is extended to make a passing loop. ** The Railway Series celebrates the Silver Jubilee. ** The NWR celebrate 100th Anniversary of the Wellsworth & Suddery Railway. * 1971: ** Robert Sam dies. ** Crovan is saved by the Sodor Governor, and he becomes his private vehicle transport. ** The last book by W. Awdry is published. * 1972: ** Richard Topham Hatt is born. ** A second platform is added at Marthwaite. * 1973: ** Bert is rebuilt. ** Flying Scotsman returns to the United Knigdom after touring the United States. * 1974: ** Sodor arrest the WWII criminal, the grandson of Luke Sqweens, and executes him. ** Charles Nicholas Hatt is born. ** The NWR is under threat of closure. * 1975: ** The Railway Series celebrates its 30th anniversary. ** Stepney's 100th Birthday * 1976: Jock is built. * 1977: ** Emily Helen Hatt is born. ** A Motorail Terminal is opened at Killdane. * 1979: ** A replica of Stephenson's Rocket is built. ** Wellsworth is overhauled. ** Britt Allcroft approaches Awdry for an idea of a TV adaptation of the Railway Series. 1980s * 1980: ** Callan station is expanded. A whole goods yard and engine sheds are added. This becomes Duck and Oliver's main shed location. ** Thomas is overhauled. ** Roger Sam becomes the new Thin Controller. * 1981: ** Topham Hatt II brings "Old Stuck-Up" to Sodor for trial purposes. He is sent away and soon withdrawn from service. ** Sir Topham Hatt II has a stroke, but he manages to live. He struggles to run the railway, and the railway turns upside down. * 1982: ** Duke is fully restored. ** Sir Handel visits the Talyllyn Railway. ** Production on 'Thomas & Friends' starts. * 1983: ** Christopher Awdry becomes the new writer for the Railway Series. ** The Crovan's Gate Works buy their own diesel engine, a BR Class 47 named Geoff. ** The engines hold a Christmas party for Mrs. Kyndley at , who is now 98. ** A pre-screening of the TV show is shown, but rejected. * 1984: ** Sir Topham Hatt III becomes the Fat Controller. ** Sir Handel returns from the Talyllyn Railway. ** "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" premieres on TV. * 1985: ** The Skarloey Funicular Railway is opened. ** Skarloey is overhauled a second time. ** The Railway Series celebrates its 40th anniversary. * 1986: ** Workmen start repairing the viaduct on the main line, which causes a huge amount of unexpected delays and disruptions. The trains are often late, which especially annoys Thomas. ** Elsbridge Harbor had been declining in the past few years and was now a total mess. The Fat Controller borrows Trevor to help clean it up ** Sir Handel is rebuilt. ** 1st April: The Reverend Teddy Boston dies. ** The Refreshment Lady dies. * 1987: ** The Cement Works at Peel Godred are sold to the NWR. Therefore, the NWR also inherits Fergus, the engine who works there. ** Mavis is involved in a collision with a lorry. ** Bulstrode is turned into a children's playground on a beach. * 1988: ** Peter Sam visits the Talyllyn Railway. ** Flying Scotsman tours Australia. ** A large freight yard is added just before Brendam to help with increasing freight traffic. Boco often works here. * 1989: ** Fred is put into service on the Skarloey Railway. ** 21st March: Margaret Emily Wale Awdry dies, aged 77. ** Thomas is sent to Brendam to help with Bill and Ben. This does not go well as the twins are very cheeky. However, they learn sense after Thomas rescues them from a flood. ** The TV show debuts in the United States on the show ''Shining Time Station. 1990s * 1990: ** After Privatisation, the name "North Western Railway" becomes official. ** Flying Scotsman returns from Australia. ** Thomas is invited to a railway show in York. ** Frank is re-engined. * 1991: ** Mr. Ivo Hugh retires, with David Hugh II succeeding him as the current foreman of the Skarloey Railway. ** After Thomas has an accident, the Ffarquar branch is closed for repair. Bertie the bus runs the service while Thomas shunts trucks back at the sheds. ** The Fat Controller decides to give Diesel a second chance as there are no other engines available to help Percy and Duck at the docks. However, it doesn't go well as Diesel foolishly pushes precious china clay into the ocean. ** A major rockslide occurs at the China Clay Works, which is badly damaged. Luckily, Bill and Ben evacuate the workmen in time and are commended by the Fat Controller. ** A few days before Christmas, massive snow storms hit the Island. A particularly bad one buries the village of Ulfstead. ** On Christmas Eve, Thomas, Percy, Toby, Terence, and Harold rescue the stranded villagers and help dig the village out of the snow. To thank the engines, the villagers go to the their shed and while the engines are asleep, they decorate it with Christmas decorations. * 1992: Henry is overhauled. * 1993: The Fat Controller borrows a Hunslet tank engine from Gloucestershire named Wilbert to help on the Arlesbourgh Branch Line. However, after Percy has an accident with oatmeal bags, he is briefly brought to help on the Ffarquar Branch while Percy is repaired. Wilbert returns to Arlesdale after Percy is mended. * 1994: ** 27th October: George Edward Vere Awdry dies, aged 78. ** British Railways is privatised until 1997. ** Bert's 100th Birthday. ** The TV series's 10th anniversary. * 1995: The Golden Jubilee of the Railway Series is celebrated. * 1996: ** Edward's 100th birthday. ** Annie and Clarabel's 100th birthday. ** Peter Sam returns to the Skarloey Railway to help with the extra work. ** Ivo Hugh is built. * 1997: ** The Island experiences two major losses. The first is the Rev. W. Awdry, who dies on March 21 at the age of 85. The second is Sir Charles Topham Hatt, who dies on September 24 at the age of 83. Both are mourned throughout the Island, and Gordon pulls both funeral trains. ** A quarry is built up near Peel Godred. It is on the site of a boulder, which according to legend has a mind of it's own. * 1998: ** A crane named Cranky is built at Brendam docks and causes trouble. However, he soon makes amends after Thomas and Percy rescue him after a storm. ** Three lorries are brought to help with the engines' heavy goods work, but all three are very nasty and horrid. They eventually all get into accidents or break down, and are sent away. ** Kirk Ronan's new station is completed. However, on the opening day, Gordon accidentally crashed through the end wall. It is repaired and a few days later, has a second opening ceremony. This time, there is a hole in the wall in the shape of Gordon, which is called "Gordon's View". * Due to high snowfall melt and extreme rain, the river up at Ulfstead begins to flood. The old dam is the only thing protecting it, and one day disaster strikes when it collapses after reaching its limits. Ulfstead and Ffarquar are seriously damaged by floodwaters, and Toby is swept away on a bridge by the river. However, Percy and Harold manage to rescue him with ropes. * The Fat Controller decides to renovate the old village of Gorsafllyn on Hawin Lake. The line is restored, but the station has some spooky events. Henry thinks he sees a ghost and has an accident when on the same line following night. It turns out that Old Bailey, a well known fog man, was trying to warn Henry about the line. Gorsafllyn is renovated and the town is rebuilt. ** The Fat Controller tries to modernize the railway by bringing two BR coaches on trial, but they are nasty and rude and are sent away. ** The Fat Controller brings a diesel named Derek to help Bill and Ben at the China Clay Works. He has a lot of mishaps and breakdowns because of his teething troubles but is eventually fixed. ** Stepney is brought to Anopha Quarry for a day from the Bluebell Railway. All goes well until on the way home, he makes a wrong turn and ends up at the scrap yards at Barrow-in-Furness. He is almost put in the melting pot by two diesels named Arry and Bert but by luck and pure coincidence, the Fat Controller happens to visiting and stops it. ** Henry has yet another accident with the Flying Kipper when the line on the Norramby branch is damaged by the high tide. ** Thomas and Percy restore an old coach named Old Slow Coach after a fire burns down a workmens hut at Tidmouth Hault. ** Rumors go around the Island that Harold is going to replace the engines. These are proven false, he is just looking for a new site for a children's playground. ** After a wrong turn, Oliver accidentally discovers an old holiday house when he crashes into an old shed, which is later restored. ** A freak accident happens at the Boulder Mountain Quarry which leads to it's end. The boulder starts rolling down the line, chasing engines and destroying structures, before it smashes into the main sheds at the quarry, which are filled with rock blasting explosives and cause an explosion. The Fat Controller closes the quarry afterwords. ** A massive snowfall hits the Island, and work is very difficult. * 1999: